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　On　the　fine；　bright　morning　in　early　May　when　the　whole　sensational　affair　of　the　Gwytherin　relics　may　properly　be　considered　to　have　begun；　Brother　Cadfael　had　been　up　long　before　Prime；　pricking　out　cabbage　seedlings　before　the　day　was　aired；　and　his　thoughts　were　all　on　birth；　growth　and　fertility；　not　at　all　on　graves　and　reliquaries　and　violent　deaths；　whether　of　saints；　sinners　or　ordinary　decent；　fallible　men　like　himself。　Nothing　troubled　his　peace　but　the　necessity　to　take　himself　indoors　for　Mass；　and　the　succeeding　half…hour　of　chapter；　which　was　always　liable　to　stray　over　by　an　extra　ten　minutes。　He　grudged　the　time　from　his　more　congenial　labours　out　here　among　the　vegetables；　but　there　was　no　evading　his　duty。　He　had；　after　all；　chosen　this　cloistered　life　with　his　eyes　open；　he　could　not　plain　even　of　those　parts　of　it　he　found　unattractive；　when　the　whole　suited　him　very　well；　and　gave　him　the　kind　of　satisfaction　he　felt　now；　as　he　straightened　his　back　and　looked　about　him。
　He　doubted　if　there　was　a　finer　Benedictine　garden　in　the　whole　kingdom；　or　one　better　supplied　with　herbs　both　good　for　spicing　meats；　and　also　invaluable　as　medicine。　The　main　orchards　and　lands　of　the　Shrewsbury　abbey　of　Saint　Peter　and　Saint　Paul　lay　on　the　northern　side　of　the　road；　outside　the　monastic　enclave；　but　here；　in　the　enclosed　garden　within　the　walls；　close　to　the　abbot's　fishponds　and　the　brook　that　worked　the　abbey　mill；　Brother　Cadfael　ruled　unchallenged。　The　herbarium　in　particular　was　his　kingdom；　for　he　had　built　it　up　gradually　through　the　fifteen　years　of　labour；　and　added　to　it　many　exotic　plants　of　his　own　careful　raising；　collected　in　a　roving　youth　that　had　taken　him　as　far　afield　as　Venice；　and　Cyprus　and　the　Holy　Land。　For　Brother　Cadfael　had　e　late　to　the　monastic　life；　like　a　battered　ship　settling　at　last　for　a　quiet　harbour。　He　was　well　aware　that　in　the　first　years　of　his　vows　the　novices　and　lay　servants　had　been　wont　to　point　him　out　to　one　another　with　awed　whisperings。
　〃See　that　brother　working　in　the　garden　there？　The　thickset　fellow　who　rolls　from　one　leg　to　the　other　like　a　sailor？　You　wouldn't　think　to　look　at　him；　would　you；　that　he　went　on　crusade　when　he　was　young？　He　was　with　Godfrey　de　Bouillon　at　Antioch；　when　the　Saracens　surrendered　it。　And　he　took　to　the　seas　as　a　captain　when　the　king　of　Jerusalem　ruled　all　the　coast　of　the　Holy　Land；　and　served　against　the　corsairs　ten　years！　Hard　to　believe　it　now；　eh？〃
　Brother　Cadfael　himself　found　nothing　strange　in　his　wide…ranging　career；　and　had　forgotten　nothing　and　regretted　nothing。　He　saw　no　contradiction　in　the　delight　he　had　taken　in　battle　and　adventure　and　the　keen　pleasure　he　now　found　in　quietude。　Spiced；　to　be　truthful；　with　more　than　a　little　mischief　when　he　could　get　it；　as　he　liked　his　victuals　well…flavoured；　but　quietude　all　the　same；　a　ship　becalmed　and　enjoying　it。　And　probably　the　youngsters　who　eyed　him　with　such　curiosity　also　whispered　that　in　a　life　such　as　he　had　led　there　must　have　been　some　encounters　with　women；　and　not　all　purely　chivalrous；　and　what　sort　of　grounding　was　that　for　the　conventual　life？
　They　were　right　about　the　women。　Quite　apart　from　Richildis；　who　had　not　unnaturally　tired　of　waiting　for　his　return　after　ten　years；　and　married　a　solid　yeoman　with　good　prospects　in　the　shire；　and　no　intention　of　flying　off　to　the　wars；　he　remembered　other　ladies；　in　more　lands　than　one；　with　whom　he　had　enjoyed　encounters　pleasurable　to　both　parties；　and　no　harm　to　either。　Bianca；　drawing　water　at　the　stone　well…head　in　Venice…the　Greek　boat…girl　Arianna…Mariam；　the　Saracen　widow　who　sold　spices　and　fruit　in　Antioch；　and　who　found　him　man　enough　to　replace　for　a　while　the　man　she　had　lost。　The　light　encounters　and　the　grave；　not　one　of　them　had　left　any　hard　feelings　behind。　He　counted　that　as　achievement　enough；　and　having　known　them　was　part　of　the　harmonious　balance　that　made　him　content　now　with　this　harboured；　contemplative　life；　and　gave　him　patience　and　insight　to　bear　with　these　cloistered；　simple　souls　who　had　put　on　the　Benedictine　habit　as　a　life's　profession；　while　for　him　it　was　a　timely　retirement。　When　you　have　done　everything　else；　perfecting　a　conventual　herb…garden　is　a　fine　and　satisfying　thing　to　do。　He　could　not　conceive　of　ing　to　this　stasis　having　done　nothing　else　whatever。
　Five　minutes　more；　and　he　must　go　and　wash　his　hands　and　repair　to　the　church　for　Mass。　He　used　the　respite　to　walk　the　length　of　his　pale…flowered；　fragrant　inner　kingdom；　where　Brother　John　and　Brother　Columbanus；　two　youngsters　barely　a　year　tonsured；　were　busy　weeding　and　edge…trimming。　Glossy　and　dim；　oiled　and　furry；　the　leaves　tendered　every　possible　variation　on　green。　The　flowers　were　mostly　shy；　small；　almost　furtive；　in　soft；　sidelong　colours；　lilacs　and　shadowy　blues　and　diminutive　yellows；　for　they　were　the　unimportant　and　unwanted　part；　but　for　ensuring　seed　to　follow。　Rue；　sage；　rosemary；　gilvers；　gromwell；　ginger；　mint；　thyme；　columbine；　herb　of　grace；　savoury；　mustard；　every　manner　of　herb　grew　here；　fennel；　tansy；　basil　and　dill；　parsley；　chervil　and　marjoram。　He　had　taught　the　uses　even　of　the　unfamiliar　to　all　his　assistants；　and　made　plain　their　dangers；　too；　for　the　benefit　of　herbs　is　in　their　right　proportion；　and　over…dosage　can　be　worse　than　the　disease。　Small　of　habit；　modest　of　tint；　close…growing　and　shy；　his　herbs　called　attention　to　themselves　only　by　their　disseminated　sweetness　as　the　sun　rose　on　them。　But　behind　their　shrinking　ranks　rose　others　taller　and　more　clamorous；　banks　of　peonies　grown　for　their　spiced　seeds；　and　lofty；　pale…leaved；　budding　poppies；　as　yet　barely　showing　the　white　or　purple…black　petals　through　their　close　armour。　They　stood　as　tall　as　a　short　man；　and　their　home　was　the　eastern　part　of　the　middle　sea；　and　from　that　far　place　Cadfael　had　brought　their　ancestors　in　the　seed　long　ago；　and　raised　and　cross…bred　them　in　his　own　garden；　before　ever　he　brought　the　perfected　progeny　here　with　him　to　make　medicines　against　pain；　the　chief　enemy　of　man。　Pain；　and　the　absence　of　sleep；　which　is　the　most　beneficent　remedy　for　pain。
　The　two　young　men；　with　habits　kilted　to　the　knee；　were　just　straightening　their　backs　and　dusting　the　soil　from　their　hands；　as　well　aware　as　he　of　the　hour。　Brother　Columbanus　would　not　for　the　world　have　let　slip　one　grain　of　his　duties；　or　countenanced　such　a　backsliding　in　any　of　his　fellows。　A　very　ely；　well…made；　upstanding　young　fellow　he　was；　with　a　round；　formidable；　Norman　head；　as　he　came　from　a　formidable；　aristocratic　Norman　family；　a　younger　son　despatched　to　make　his　way　in　the　monastic　ranks　as　next…best　to　inheriting　the　land。　He　had　stiff；　upstanding　yellow　hair　and　full　blue　eyes；　and　his　modest　demeanour　and　withdrawn　pallor　tended　to　obscure　the　muscular　force　of　his　build。　Not　a　very　fortable　colleague；　Brother　Columbanus；　for　in　spite　of　his　admirable　body　equipment　he　had　some　while　since　proved　that　he　had　a　mental　structure　of　alarming　sensitivity；　and　was　liable　to　fits　of　emotional　stress；　crises　of　conscience；　and　apocalyptic　visions　far　removed　from　the　implications　of　his　solid　skull。　But　he　was　young　and　idealistic；　he　had　time　to　get　over　his　self…torments。　Brother　Cadfael　had　worked　with　him　for　some　months；　and　had　every　hope　for　him。　He　was　willing；　energetic；　and　almost　too　eager　to　please。　Possibly　he　felt　his　debt　to　his　aristocratic　house　too　nearly；　and　feared　a　failure　that　would　reflect　on　his　kin。　You　cannot　be　of　high　Norman　blood；　and　not　excel！　Brother　Cadfael　felt　for　any　such　victims　as　found　themselves　in　this　trap；　ing　as　he　did；　of　antique　Welsh　stock　without　superhuman　pretensions。　So　he　tolerated　Brother　Columbanus　with　equanimity；　and　doctored　his　occasional　excesses　philosophically。　The　juice　of　the　paynim　poppies　had　quieted　Columbanus　more　than　once　when　his　religious　fervour　prostrated　him。
　Well；　at　any　rate　there　was　no　nonsense　of　that　kind　with　the　other　one！　Brother　John　was　as　plain　and　practical　as　his　name；　a　square　young　man　with　a　snub　nose　and　an　untamable　ring　of　wiry　russet　curls　round　his　tonsure。　He　was　always　hungry；　and　his　chief　interest　in　all　things　that　grew　in　gardens　was　whether　they　were　eatable；　and　of　agreeable　flavour。　e　autumn　he　would　certainly　find　a　way　of　working　his　passage　into　the　orchards。　Just　now　he　was　content　to　help　Brother　Cadfael　prick　out　early　lettuces；　and　wait　for　the　soft　fruits　to　e　into　season。　He　was　a　handsome；　lusty；　good…natured　soul；　who　seemed　to　have　blundered　into　this　enclosed　life　by　some　inprehensible　error；　and　not　yet　to　have　realised　that　he　had　e　to　the　wrong　place。　Brother　Cadfael　detected　a　lively　sense　of　mischief　the　fellow　to　his　own；　but　never　yet　given　its　head　in　a　wider　world；　and　confidently　expected　that　some　day　this　particular　red…crested　bird　would　certainly　fly。　Meantime；　he　got　his　entertainment　wherever　it　offered；　and　found　it　sometimes　in　unexpected　places。
　〃I　must　be　in　good　tune；〃　he　said；　unkilting　his　gown　and　dusting　his　hands　cheerfully　on　his　seat。　〃I'm　reader　this　week。〃　So　he　was；　Cadfael　recalled；　and　however　dull　the　passages　they　chose　for　him　in　the　refectory；　and　innocuous　the　sain